Imported/Foreign Lighting Products

[Jman423]

Why does everyone make a big deal about the imported/foreign lighting products?

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[894]

Not all foreign products are inferior. It greatly depends on the location of origin. Alot of Euopean-made products are quite satisfactory. Alot of the Asian-market products are inferior simply because of their construction.

These products have been in-use in "The States" for 50+ years, have had time to evolve and the capitalistic form of economics have forced our manufacturers to always evolve on a "bigger/brighter/faster/more" scale. Other than outsourcing by some of the manufacturers here, the quality has always been satisfactory here because the market and vast array of climates found here will dictate whose products are inferior very quickly i.e., Federal's Visions were beloved by CHP but tossed into the dumpster within two years in the "salt-belt". That's just an example of US-made products. 

Not all the Asian-market products are bad, either. The reverse-engineering done by the Chinese manufacturing market amuses me. They'll have a bar that looks identical to something made here to an uneducated eye. Very few price-shoppers are educated shoppers and therefore and as with everything in this world, "you get what you pay for!" The same goes for a hammer purchased from the dollar bin at the hardware store. The head is crooked, the handle splinters... the thing rusts before you even get it home. It was made from the bumper of a '72 Catalina for chrissakes! The only way to make $299 full-size lightbars ANYWHERE, would be to cut corners in plastics quality, electronics quality, wiring and connector quality and utilize the thinnest and cheapest metals available. That kind of crap could be made here as well but no-one would have the balls to do it simply because anyone who would purchase that crap would be throwing it back through the front window of the place that made it within a week! They have the luxury of being on the other side of the planet. That makes it a bit difficult unless you have a helluva arm. To duplicate EXACTLY what we have here would cost them twice as much, bringing the cost of that bar back into our range, even though the labor would be cheaper, they would loose that in shipping costs. 

There's always going to be the guys that just need a blinking light on their truck when they are on the side of the road pouring concrete or buzzing around the parking lot of a Wal-Mart somewhere in their Lumina with a plastic badge. I'm not picking on those guys but those are the Asian-market buyers, for the most-part. Any professional worth their salt will make an educated decision about anything they utilize on a daily basis and purchase a quality-built item beit a lightbar or any widget he uses. This falls true for any occupation. They don't have time for failures, especially in the emergency-response market. If your life is on the line, can you rely on that $99 lightbar snagged off of eBay to be seen and last through the next snowstorm? That's a call only the buyer can make but you better make the right call...your life may depend on it!

In addition, I'm not knocking ALL Asian-market products. There has been some neat stuff coming out of China that comes with a warranty and has impressed me lately. They're coming around. It's just that most of it, until now, has been less-than-adequate and not quite to the US-made levels of quality.

There's an old saying I learned many years ago and that has been the motto for my business for 36 years..."Quality is like buying oats...if you want good quality oats, you must pay a fair price. If you want oats that have already been through the horse, they are a little cheaper." 

Enough said. 

 

[JohnMarcson]

People usually choose an imported  emergency product for price reasons.  I usually avoid them for the same reason.

My standard list of potential problems with any non-domestic emergency product is:

Lack of accountability

Lack of Quality

Lack of Testing/certification

Lack of Customer service

Those issues can be spoken to, but every one you address adds cost.  At some point the main domestic companies are a similar price. 

I will disclaim this by saying some companies have spoken to quality and customer service by having a good relationship with a trusted partner or rep here. 

 

[CodeMan]

"The only way to make $299 full-size lightbars ANYWHERE, would be to cut corners in plastics quality, electronics quality, wiring and connector quality and utilize the thinnest and cheapest metals available. That kind of crap could be made here as well but no-one would have the balls to do it simply because anyone who would purchase that crap would be throwing it back through the front window of the place that made it within a week!"

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Hmm care to say what the real cost is to build a name brand plastic light bar?  :undecided:

I once was a dealer/retailer & I know the suggested retail price mark up is high, the dealer cost is alot lower, We have come to the point of "you get what you pay for "

(remember the dealer has to put food on the table for his family too) even if they have to bend you over just a little its for a good cause...

I remember when the LED dash kings were first introduced into the market. I used to sell the blue LED whelen dash kings for $150.00 to LEO's when the suggested retail was $300+ for an LED dash lite that I picked up for $100. The reason for the mark up?  I was told to say its because blue LEDs cost more to make..    Boy I sold a lot of dashkings for those two years..

That said I've seen  the LED Jetstream retails $1,699.50 on sale for $1,274.63. and the price differs ALOT from retailer to retailer. The reality is the average joe doesn't have that  $1,274.63 to drop on a lightbar for his pov, so he's going to look for the most bang for his buck.. and I've seen the ali babba light bars on some security vehicles and it does the job its intended for and the low price they paid for it. If it breaks they can just order another and still be well under the brand name price.

Example: take a halogen dash light, the 1166H is a good example I've seen it go from $40.00 - $80.00, retail. dealer cost used to be around $30.00.

So a $300 light bar isn't far fetched.. Take the Code 3 LP6000 (48") they sell retail as low as $371.95 that's 4 rots & 2 diamond mirrors. and cost a heck of a lot less to build. so the profits made..

And we have all seen brand name light bars arrive with light heads that didn't work right out of the box. sure you sent it back and wait a while to have another shipped back and got a different one as a replacement. but it does happen....

So looking at it from an open minded side, you have a brand name and your going to pay the price for that well known brand name because others opinions say get this one or this one. Remember my friend You get what you pay for... And again the average joe doesn't have that $700.00 - $1,274.63 to drop on a lightbar for his pov, so he's going to look for the most bang for his buck..

I have seen the Asian stuff and its good to try before you buy as the lighting isn't very bright on some  but others work for what's needed since again its what the customer wanted... Then you have European makers like Hella that will do what it needs to do as it has to meet the European standards and is considered a quality product there.

Bottom line of the retailers: if you need, it your going to pay for it. And your buddies are all going to have differing opinions on what you got.. and most choices are based on personal opinions of that guy who tells you which one to buy. 

IMHO listen to the opinions of others see the product and if it works for you, the best advice is shop around for the best price as they will differ from place to place.

Note: I have been out of the light sales business for 10yrs, it was a part time business as I still had a FT job. But now just a consumer like many here.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Carlos SpicyWeiner]

I remember when I used to sell the blue LED whelen dash kings for $150.00 to LEO's when the suggested retail was $300+ for an LED dash lite that I picked up for $100. The reason for the mark up?  I was told to say its because blue LEDs cost more to make..    Boy I sold a lot of dashkings for those two years..

Wow, I don't think i make that much on anything I sell.   

Here is the thing, there IS a ton of profit in the chinese stuff. I've researched it. The cost to order stuff, ship it here and resell it is minimum. These retailers are often doubling what they pay for the product.  

A certain 10 head interior bar can be had for just over $100 cost.  Thats $10 a light head (each having 3 leds). Thats not even counting the metal work, flasher, etc.  Think about what you can TRULY get for $10 a lighthead.